Window-shade spring-tightener and locking bracket.



C. H. WISE.

WINDOW SHADE SPRING TIGHTENER AND LOCKING BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED IULY SI 1916.

Patented May 29, 191?.

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CHARLES H. WISE, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK.

'WINDOW-SHADE SPRING-TIGHTENER AND I'JOCIKJJATG@ BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed July 3, 1916. Serial No. 107,330.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. VVIsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at lthaca, in the County of rll`ompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVindow-Shade Spring-Tighteners and Locking Brackets, of which the following is a specication.

rlhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in window shade spring tightener and locking bracket.

rlhe primary obj ect of the invention is the provision of a mounting bracket for the spring carried end of a shade roller whereby the roller spring may be readily tightened by a person standing upon the floor of the room in which the shade is arranged.

A further object of the device is to provide a shade roller bracket adapted for tensioning the spring of the shade roller and also for locking the adjacent end of the spindle therein preventing the accidental removal of the roller.

A further object of the device ,is to provide a means that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture adapted for serving the usual function of a shade bracket and also to lock the shade roller therein providing a ready means for tightening the winding spring of the roller whenever occasion may require.

`With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and then claimed.

ln the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window shade mounted upon a roller operatively carried by brackets, one of the same being of the form now devised, the shade and roller being illustrated by dotted lines and partially broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same showing the present device in side elevation, the elements being illustrated by dotted lines in their lspring tightening position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the shade and roller removed as well as the winding lever and handle.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with all of the elements removed from the bracket.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the device taken upon line V-V of Fig. 1 with the shade shown in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the spindle end, the latter being illustrated by dotted lines in its locked position.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bracket member shown in Fig. 4l.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the operating lever detached, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the hub member detached.

The device being broadly designed for the purpose of tensioning the spring of the usual construction of window shade rollers, the same is herein illustrated in connection with a window shade 10 wound upon the usual roller 11, the latter being provided with a cylindrical pin 12 at one end for journaling in a right angular bracket 13 while the opposite end of the roller is provided with a spring carried spindle 14; having a squared end or extension 15 rectangular incross section adapted to be held stationary when the shade and roller are operatively positioned horizontally in the well known shade roller construction.

rlhe present device consists of the mounting bracket for the spring spindle 111 as illustrated at the left hand side of Fig. 1 of the drawing. The same provides a right angular body or bracket 16 adapted to be secured to the window casing 17 by means of screws 18 positioned through perforations 19 in the foot or base flange 20 of the said bracket 16.

An operating hub 21 is arranged having a dish or washer shaped base 22 with a journaling boss 23 carried thereby adapted for free rotation within a substantially circular opening 24 lin the arm or main flange 25 of the bracket 16, the disk base 22 being arranged inwardly of the arm 25. A squared shoulder 26 is provided upon the outer face of the boss 23 while a cylindrical axle 27 is carried outwardly of the said shoulder and a threaded stem or screw 28 projects from the axle 27 axially of the hub 21.

rThe bracket arm is provided with a receiving slot 29 in its upper edge adapted for the passage of the spindle extension 15 therethrough while a similar slot 30 is radially arranged in the disk base 22 and extends ascii at 31 diametrically of the boss 23. By turning the disk base 22 and bess 23 for posi-v tioning the slots 30 and 31 ,in the same plane as the bracket slot 29, the spindle extension 15 may be freely inserted through the said slots for seating within the hub 21 with the boss slot 31 closed by means of the sides of the opening 24 when the hub is rotarily shifted as best illustrated by Fig. 6 of the drawing and whereby the extension 15 will be prevented from removal from the bracket 16 until the hub is returned for allowing such removal.

A toothed ratchet wheel 32 is mounted upon the squared shoulder 26 and an operating lever 33 is ournaled upon the axle 27 while a washer 34 being positioned over the stem 28, a handle 35 is mounted upon the said stem by means of a threaded lock nut 36 forming the base of the said handle and whereby the washer, lever and ratchet wheel are secured to the hub 21 and the latter is maintained journaled upon the arm 25 of the bracket 16.

A spring pressed pawl 3T is mounted upon the arm 25 having a spring 33 anchored by means of a post 39 carried by the said arm and whereby the pawl 38 is in normal resilient engagement with the wheel A dog 40 is carried by the operating arm 41 of the lever 33 having a tensioning spring 42 for normally maintaining the same in contact with the wheel 32. A normal positioning and return spring 43 is arranged for the lever 33 being attached at one end to a pin 44 upon the bracket arm 25 and at its other end to a lug 45 of the said lever. A pull cord 46 is attached to the lever arm 41 being secured through a perforation 47 therein.

From this detailed description of the device and the manner of mounting the shade roller spindle 14 within the hub 21 of the present bracket 16, the complete operation of the device will be apparent, it being noted that the shade roller 11 is locked in its supported engagement with the brackets 13 and 16 during the normal operation of the device by reason of the positioning of the slots 30 and 31 of the disk base 22 and the boss 23 respectively in a different plane than the entrance slot 29 of the journal opening 24 of the bracket arm 25 and whereby the slot 31 of the boss 23 is closed preventing the removal of the spindle extension 15 therethrough. When the spring, not shown, of the shade roller 11 becomes insufficiently tensioned for properly rewinding the shade 10, the handle 35 may be turned or the lever arm 41 moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 for shifting the lever 33 and by means of the dog 40 turning the wheel 32, the hub 21 and the spindle 14, it being understood that the weight of the Lezama shade 12 maintains the roller 11 stationary y,during such tightening operation although the roller may be rigidly maintained in any other manner such as by manually holding the shade 10 during such re-winding of the .spring if the same should be found necessary. |The cord 46 may be employed for shifting the lever arm 41, the said cord being extended to a desired position where the same may be readily grasped by the operator. After the wheel 32 has been moved rotarily, the pawl 37 retains the same and the hub 21 against any return movement, while the spring 43 returns the lever 33 to its normal position for successive actuations. The pin 44 also acts as a stop for the'lever arm 41 limiting the operative movement thereof while the Spring 43 engages the curved adjacent outer face 48 of the lever 33 during the operation of the lever as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing and whereby a further tensioning of the said spring 43 is accomplished.

The present device is in the nature of an article of manufacture being sold commercially as a shade roller bracket and serving the usual function of mounting the roller, also providing a locking means therefor as well as its main feature which is the provision of a winding tensioning means for the spring member of the roller.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. i

What 1 claim as new is 1. An article ofmanufacture comprising an arm having a journal opening therein provided with an entrance slot, a mounting hub having a boss portion journaled in the said opening and having va base disk arranged inwardly of the said arm, the said hub having a radial slot extending through the said boss and disk adapted for receivingly positioning in the same plane as the said arm slot, a shoulder and an axle upon the said hub, a ratchet wheel upon the said shoulder, an operating lever j ournaled upon the said axle, a dog for the said ratchet wheel carried by the said lever and a pawl for the said wheel mounted upon the said arm.

2. An article of manufacture Comprising an arm having a journal opening therein provided with an entrance slot, a mounting hub having a boss portion journaled in the said opening and having a base disk arranged inwardly of the said arm, the said hub having a radial slot extending through the said boss and disk adapted for receivingly positioning in the same plane as the said arm slot, a shoulder and an axle upon the said hub, a ratchet Wheel upon the said shoulder, an operating lever journaled upon the said axle, a dog for the said ratchet f Wheel carried by the said lever and a pawl for the Said Wheel mounted upon the said arm, a return sprlng for the said lever', a de- CHARLES II. WISE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

